Playing Political
by ElesaryAyres
Summary: Court intrigue grows as Madame Veronique trades the brothers for political gain, meanwhile, Christabel is changing and someone, somewhere, plots revenge.


Christabel

Sunday, January 18th

1:12 PM

I tore through the forest after the gazelle, laughing and flying with pure exhilaration. This was… this was joy. The wind tore through my hair, letting me sniff and smell everything around me, the ground flew beneath my bare feet as I sprinted over rock and moss and log. I was gaining on my prey, its ragged gasps sending vicious adrenaline singing through my system.

My fingers clawed in anticipation of the slaughter, my teeth ached for the give of warm flesh and the blood… oh the blood. My nails sharpened into talons, white against my blue-tinged skin. A scent caught my nose, it was my own and I smelled of rotting mushrooms….

Marcus

7:46 PM

My eyes snapped open and I blinked in the dark, thirst tearing through my body like a thousand knives.

I reached blindly for the bag of blood that I kept by bed and sucked it down as fast as I could. It reached my system and I sighed with relief as my cells stopped shriveling. I sat up and got dressed, pulling on slacks and a sweater before putting another blood bag in the microwave.

It was almost time for one of the parties my father often through on my mothers behalf. He claimed they pacified the violent and warmongering outer tribes that circled the court like vultures. They made them feel important and powerful and playing political war games kept them from becoming real. My father was a wise politician and his methods were effective, but it didn't stop me from hating being trussed up like a turkey for the ambitious daughters and divorcees.

So I drank another pint of blood to bring a flush to my cheeks and checked the mirror before heading downstairs to meet my siblings.

Sebastian and Duncan were already downstairs, watching sullenly as Nicholas and Lucy playfully fought and threw stuff at each other over Solange's head, which sat between them and read.

"How come they don't have to come?" I groused to Sebastian.

"Because I smell like human," Nick replied, "Most vampiric princesses dislike that on a potential husband."

"You are NO ONE'S potential husband!" Lucy snapped, flinging a pillow at him.

"Except yours," Solange muttered, not looking up from her magazine. Lucy whipped her head towards my sister, cheeks flushed, "Shut up!" she hissed.

I smiled and glanced at Nick, who avoided my gaze and seemed to have a slight red tint to his own cheeks.

My mother swept down the stairs, looking businesslike, if a little uncomfortable in her black gown. "Let's get this shit over with," she groused. My father followed her a little more slowly, carrying her wrap and looking amused and fondly at her.

I sighed and grabbed my coat, following them down into the tunnels.

I rolled my eyes and took a deep pull of my blood-wine as yet another shifty-eyed vampire examined my brothers and I as we stood on the dais behind our parents.

She caught my eye and licked her bright red lips. I tried not to shudder and took another sip. The hours passed slowly and were filled with threats and betrayals and rumors and pretty much everything that Quinn loved to play with, but that gave me a headache.

Soft music started playing and my father nudged Duncan's shoulder and motioned toward a waiflike vampire who stared at him with narrow eyes. My brother grumbled but followed Dads direction and led her out onto the dance floor.

I glanced around warily and slowly shifted back toward the velvet screen behind the dais.

I slipped behind it and sighed, leaning against the cold stonewall. I hated the dancing we were required too. At times like this I wished that Lady Natasha was still alive and we were still exiled. I loved our quiet woods and the winding roads I took my bike on, where it was peaceful and the only sounds were natural and it smelled fresh, not like the perfume that made my nose ache.

I was going to get a lot of shit for ditching the dancing, maybe even a meeting with Madame Veronique, who scared me, shitless, but at least she didn't expect me to dance with her.

Just to make an alliance marriage to some cold bitch that thirsted after the throne.

I shook my head in disgust and slipped out one of the hidden back doors. I would get shit for this later, but I couldn't- couldn't- stay and be whored out for political games.


End file.
